Ken Block Statement On Report From RI Center For Freedom & Prosperity

Warwick – Republican Candidate for Governor Ken Block issued the following statement on the Rhode Island Center for Freedom&Prosperity’s «Spotlight on Spending» report on wasteful spending:
“The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity’s report is absolutely correct.  We need to cut wasteful spending from the budget and reduce taxes.  This is the only way we will be able to create new jobs and stabilize Rhode Island’s budget.
Too many career politicians think it is fine to simply maintain the status quo on taxes and increase government spending, but this will not accomplish what Rhode Island needs.  ‘No New Taxes’ is not a rallying cry, it is a statement of surrender to the unions and the Democratic establishment.
The government already takes more of our hard earned money than it needs.  Rhode Island wastes more than enough money that could be used to cut taxes and solve our budget problems.  In the 1990s, my team identified $1 billion in waste and fraud in Texas’ EBT program.  And as Governor, I will find and save $1 billion in wasteful spending in Rhode Island. I will fix our broken temporary disability program and put money back into the pockets of working Rhode Islanders – a total of $80 million every year.  I will reform the unemployment insurance program that is ranked one of the worst in the country.
I am the only candidate with a detailed plan to cut taxes.  First, I will reduce the hated car tax by creating an incentive for municipalities to cut costs through shared services and other common sense measures such as statewide procurement of emergency vehicles.  My plan will reduce the total car tax burden by $75 million.  I will cut the estate tax rate and raise the threshold so Rhode Islanders are not driven out of our state by the death tax.  I will reduce Rhode Island’s corporate tax rate to the lowest in New England, and eliminate the $500 minimum corporate tax for new businesses.
After we find the savings in government, we will use those savings to cut taxes. That’s the way to make our economy competitive and create new jobs for Rhode Islanders.»